Will BLW work for you?

I've rewritten this post a few times...not an efficient use of nap time! It's tricky, though, because I want to share my feelings about introducing babies to food without insulting anyone or making it seem like I'm some sort of expert. So, let's start with this:

There's no right or wrong way to feed your baby as long as he/she is nourished, safe, and happy. I'm doing what works for me and am sharing that with you. My only experience is the past three months or so with Chicken, so I'm no expert. I'm certainly not a doctor, no matter how many episodes of House I've seen!

With that said, I know that some people who visit this blog are interested in BLW, but aren't sure if it's a good fit for their family. Here are some questions (and some accompanying information) I'd ask anyone fitting that description:

1. How old is your baby?

BLW should not begin before six months. There is no need to feed a baby under six months anything other than formula/breast milk and he/she will not be able to safely manage food before this age. Babies older than a year need nutrition from food, so a few nibbles and tastes of food (as is common when starting BLW) might not be enough. That doesn't mean older babies can't eat this way. It's a great way to learn about food, but you need to know that the actual eating doesn't start right away.

2. Who do you think should be in control of how much your baby eats?

If you think it's you, then "pure" BLW isn't for you. There's a lot of trust and faith required when BLWing...You need to know that your baby (6months -12 months) is learning about food and may not eat as much as you think he/she should.

3. Are you (and your child's other caregivers) comfortable with the gagging and mess that come with BLW?

Babies gag. Babies who eat solid food gag quite a bit. Whoever is feeding your baby needs to be ok with that. If the daycare provider, grandma, nanny etc is going to freak out every time Baby gags, it won't work.

Babies who feed themselves make messes. (Have you seen the photos of Chicken???) That's how they learn about food. If you're not ok with that, then this might not be for you.

4. What's your motivation for trying something other than the "traditional" (maybe common is a better word...) way of introducing your child to food?

BLW is about Baby learning about food. It's not about filling him up so he sleeps through the night. It's about him experiencing the textures, tastes, shapes, colors, sensations of food and the socializing that occurs when he eats WITH his family.

If your baby is six months or older and you want him/her to learn about food by self-feeding, then you can do a form of BLW for sure. There's a spectrum with BLW. Parents who spoon-feed purees and control what/how much Baby eats are at one end. Parents who offer "real" food that Baby eats independently are at the other end. As I've said before, I offer Chicken purees on a loaded spoon, which other BLW moms might not.

I'm going to start adding some tips for modifying BLW for moms who may want to try it, but aren't totally on board yet or aren't sure their child's other caregivers will be ok with it.

Here's my first tip: Let your baby (6 months or older!) feed him/herself cereal. If you're baby is able to eat oatmeal then skip the flaky kind and buy some real oats. (We use organic instant oatmeal.) Make it thick, with just enough water, formula or breast milk to cook the oats. Then put some globs on your baby's tray and let him/her eat it by the fistful. You can add in mashed up pear (or some spoonfuls of pureed fruit) and a dash or two of cinnamon. If you're nervous about it being too thick (it probably won't be), you can thin it out some more, but it needs to be thick enough to pick up. Be prepared for some oatmeal in the hair and even for your baby to just sit there at first unsure what to do. Oh, and be sure to join him/her by having your breakfast too!